Tag: interview

I love authors. I love supporting authors. And I LOVE introducing readers to their new “favorite author.”

That’s why I invite authors onto my blog. Today, I’m thrilled to have not one, or even two, but FIVE guest authors. All of these writers are published with Roane Publishing, the small house that gave me my fiction debut. (I ADORE them!)

No one wants to read a long, wordy interview. Especially not from FIVE different wordsmith-type individuals. So, today, I’m asking all the authors of the newest fantasy anthology from Roane only ONE question.

Isn’t this cover amazing?

No, that wasn’t the one question. But so you know, they all shouted YES! It was really harmonic too.

So, authors, you’ve written stories with elemental magic of some sort. Which element are you? Why? What will you do with your elemental power?

Terri Rochenski (author of Mist Weaver) says:

I think I would want to be Air. Being able to manipulate mass with blasts. Water, Earth, and Fire can all be somewhat controlled by Air.

Now we know Terri is all about CONTROL. A perfect character trait for a fiction writer.

Kelly Said (author of The Myth of Mt. Agony) takes a deep breath and admits:

I wrote about earth, but feel like AIR is a pretty potent element. It’s a gentle breeze that can bring relief on a sweltering summer day. It’s a powerful force that can lift up or knock down anything in its path. And it’s contradictory in its nature, because it’s usually there when you need it (ahh, breathing is life), but will let you fall if you trust it too much (gravity can be a bummer — Wile E Coyote). If I had the ability to control air I think my prankster side would totally pop up. I’d walk by breezing papers off people’s desks, or go strolling down the sidewalk giving everyone bad hair days, LOL! But then I could see how something might set my temper off and I’d probably pull a Darth Vader move and yank the air out of someone’s lungs until they turned blue. Sigh. I’m too human to possess such power, which is why I write about characters who do. 😉

Another air aficionado. At least Kelly is wise enough to limit her elemental magic to the pages of the stories she writes. And who knew she was such a prankster?

Claire Davon (Author of The Dragon, The Witch, and the Swordswoman) had to think a moment before replying:

Oh such a complicated question! I like something about each one of them but if I have to pick one I would say water. If I had the elemental power to control and manipulate water I would want to use it to go down to the depths of the ocean that we cannot reach and see what it’s like down there for myself. What an adventure that would be! The ocean floor is such an unknown and it’s on our own planet!

Oh my. Claire is much braver than I am. The thought of all that water pressing down, suffocating me. *shivers* But authors have to be brave, so I applaud Claire’s adventurous spirit.

Rebecca Hart (author of Alice and the Egg) tilted her pirate’s hat at me and said:

I think I am a water element, personally, even though my story revolves around fire. I am addicted to all things ocean, and being a Virgo (the water bearer), I think it is just “who I am”. What would I do with my elemental power? Bring the ocean to me, of course. ?

Now Rebecca has the right idea. I’m a little bit of an ocean lover, too, as long as I’m on the beach.

Michael Siciliano (author of Forging Mettle) jumps right in with:

Um … is sarcasm an element, because I’ve honing my skill with that one since I was a teenager. All right, I admit, it’s not. It should be, but it’s not.

I’m kind of liking carbon, but if you put too much of it into the air, you get 90°F in January and beach front in Tennessee. Fine, fine, I’ll stop making jokes.

Medieval elements. I think my Talent would be to manipulate light. Making an area anywhere form pitch black to blindingly bright. Hey, that’s a pretty damned good idea. That might appear somewhere in a follow-up story to Forging Mettle. I call dibs.

Sarcasm is in fact an element. Wielded with skill by the bravest writers everywhere (consider Mark Twain).

And there you have it. Two air benders, a pair of water wielders and the man who would be a light bringer.

If you want to learn more about these authors, they’re also doing an interview over at Liz’s Reading Life.

Of course, the best way to know an author is to read their stories. So, support an author today. Pick up your copy of BRAVING THE ELEMENTS.

Last of all, enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

GIVEAWAY!!

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use a RoanePublishing.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.

Melissa: I CANNOT WAIT for the live action movie to be released in March of this year. I’ve been stalking all the trailers.

When I thought about the original story, I wondered what it would be like if the roles were reversed, and if the woman were the beast instead of the man. I worked my way backwards from that notion, considering how she could’ve ended up cursed, and what it would take for her to break free from it. There is still a strong emphasis on a woman’s physical beauty even in this day and age. As cheesy as it sounds, I really do believe true beauty comes from within and it doesn’t hurt to remind the world of that from time to time. If that makes me seem like a total sap, then so be it.

ME: Nope. The more technology advances, the more we become obsessed with visual images. And true love is more than skin deep, which is one of the reasons I LOVE the story Beauty and the Beast.
I was going to ask what your favorite Disney movie was, but since you’ve already copied my answer *sticks out tongue* what is your second favorite Disney movie? Have you ever considered doing a retelling of it?

Melissa: My second favorite would be Cars. My son absolutely loved this movie when he was little and I watched it countless times. In fact, I could probably recite a bunch of the scenes verbatim. I love watching Lightning McQueen’s struggle to figure out what happiness means to him. Also, I love the slow realization that success has different definitions as well.

I think it would be very difficult to do a retelling, but I definitely have other stories that revolve around this theme.

Thanks for giving us a “glimpse behind the author curtain.”

And because I have an inside track with Melissa, she’s agreed to give us a sneak peek inside the lovely cover of The Crimson Curse.

You’ll only read this segment of The Crimson Curse right here (unless you purchase the novella, links below).

Here’s an exclusive excerpt from The Crimson Curse:

Calliope may not have been able to leave the estate, but at that exact point in time, with her heart feeling so full, she couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be. “What are you making?” she asked.
“Cookies.” Yareena turned, flashing a toothy grin. Flour dusted the little girl’s nose and clothing. “Mrs. Widdleworth is teaching me how to bake.”
“I most certainly am, and this child is a natural.”
Calliope approached and gestured at their preparation area. “May I?”
Mrs. Widdleworth drew back. “But, you’re the lady of the house.”
“So? When has that ever mattered? Yareena is a guest, yet here she is. You’re having such a wonderful time. I’d like to help.” She wiggled between Yareena and Mrs. Widdleworth, giving them each a light hip bump to make room for herself. She reached for the bowl filled with the prepared dough.
“Don’t you know three’s a crowd?” Bastian’s deep, baritone voice came from the kitchen’s doorway.
Calliope turned. “Excuse me?”
“I just think you should let the girls enjoy themselves.” He held a straight face, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
She raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? And what about me? Am I not allowed to partake in any fun?”
He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “I thought you might like to take a walk instead?” A sly grin pulled at his lips, suggesting a different kind of enjoyment.
Calliope’s cheeks flushed.
Mrs. Widdleworth’s jaw slackened at the same time she dropped her spoon, causing it to clang on the countertop. “It’s a beautiful day outside.” Her eyes pleaded with Calliope to go as if the woman feared she would turn him down.
“All right,” Calliope said, “but I’m not convinced your company will be as entertaining as theirs.”
“We’ll see about that.” Bastian’s eyes met hers, filled with wicked suggestion, causing a tingle to travel down her spine. He held his arm out for her and she took it, allowing him to lead her out of the kitchen, and through the front door.
After walking a fair distance from the house, Calliope’s teeth chattered. The harsh winter weather had faded, but not enough to be outdoors without a coat.
They stopped, and Bastian faced her. His mouth quirked as if he was holding back a laugh. “I’m guilty of poor planning. Should we go back indoors before we turn into icicles?” The deep rumble of his chuckle warmed her insides.
“That might be wise,” she said, even though she would be more than willing to endure the cold in exchange for his company.
“Perhaps, but I should warn you, I may not be so wise when it comes to you.” He stepped forward and circled his arms around her waist, pulling her body against his.
His lips met hers, their tongues swirling in a delicate dance. All thoughts of the weather dissipated. She welcomed the feel of his body and the wave of desire that followed. Her fingers traced the angle of his jaw and caressed the back of his neck.
After a long while, he drew back and framed her face with his hands, taking care not to disturb her golden mask.
Her hands dropped to his shoulders. “You’re shaking.”
He leaned in until their foreheads touched. “You have that effect on me.”

AND…there’s a preview of the novel I’ve been slaving over for the last few months. This is the novel I wrote for National Novel Writing Month at the request of my publisher, Month9Books. Read that story here.

Check out the interview on Ms. Fox’s site to read an excerpt of this never before seen snippet from that young adult dystopian novel. Go ahead. Click the blue here. Do it. You know you want to.